


Puzzle

by TheEndlessMajestic



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/F, Past Sexual Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Puzzle - Alternate Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-01-01 10:16:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18333902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEndlessMajestic/pseuds/TheEndlessMajestic
Summary: An unexpected interest in jigsaw puzzles brings together a pair of disparate souls. For Chloe Price, it's something to keep her lonely mind occupied. For Max Caulfield, it's an escape from past trauma. For the both of them, it's exactly what they needed.





	1. Chapter 1

“A jigsaw puzzle? You got me……. a jigsaw puzzle”

To be a little cheesy, Chloe Price was quite puzzled by the gift she unwrapped. Rachel Amber, her best friend since high school, was usually pretty straight forward in her gift giving. A nice dinner, a nice bottle of alcohol and celebration that would maybe be remembered the next morning. A jigsaw puzzle was a little out of her wheelhouse.

“Yes? It’s not that odd.” the blonde shot back with. “You’re always going on about how bored you get outside of work. So, I figured I’d get you something to do.”

Lifting her beanie to run her hand through her hair, Chloe still seemed a little confused by it. “I know, but I would have expected a video game or something. You know Kingdom Hearts III just came out, right?”

“Videogames will rot your brain, don’t you know?”

The bluenette could only stare back at her friend in bemusement. “I suppose if there’s anyone that knows about rotting their brain, it would be you.”

“Classic Chloe Price right there.” Rachel said with a dull tone. “Seriously, though, I think this puzzle will be fun for you to do. Plus, the design is Paris! You’ve always wanted to go there, yeah?”

The answer was yes, obviously, but Chloe wasn’t exactly thrilled at thinking about her father on her birthday. “Uh, yeah, right.”

Realizing what she had inadvertently done, Rachel moved quick to reply. “Shit! Sorry Chlo. I just. I just know you-”

“Rach, it's fine. I know you didn't mean anything by it.” Looking to move on from that, Chloe continued. “Steph coming out with us tonight?”

“Of course! She may not be as adventurous as us, but she wasn’t gonna miss your B-Day Bash.”

Despite the close relationship between the two of them, Chloe and Rachel never went beyond just being best friends. Fire and fire was not a good combination. Instead, the blonde model chose to shack up with Stephanie Gingrich. The two couldn’t be further apart from each other personality-wise, but that only strengthened their love for one another.

And while Chloe may have never sought that relationship with Rachel, she had to admit she was jealous. Those two crazy kids had found the love that had so far eluded her. There had been a few long-ish term relationships, but nothing to write home about.

“Awesome. It’s been awhile since I’ve properly hung out with her. Usually I just get saddled with your dangerous ass.”

With a cheeky grin that only she could pull off, Rachel fired back with the obvious response. “You love my dangerous ass.”

“Ugh, let’s just get out of here.”

* * *

 

“Fuck. My. Life.”

Surprisingly waking up in her bed, Chloe realized a terrible thing. At the ripe old age of 25, getting smashed was finally beginning to be more trouble than it was worth.

“At least I had the foresight to take off of work.” the punk said to herself as she moved to grab her phone. “6:00? Gross. I don’t see any sloppy drunk texts at least, so that’s a plus.”

The only text was one from Rachel saying she was gonna swing by after work to grab some clothes. With no other pressing matters to attend to, Chloe rolled over and drifted off back to bed.

A few hours later, and in a much better mood, Chloe finally dragged herself out of bed. Putting on a pot of coffee and pouring herself a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, she started to mindlessly scroll through her phone. Twitter was a cesspool, as usual, but Rachel had at least got a good pic of the two of them up on her Instagram.

“I always forget to actually plan something for my days off” the blunette mumbled to herself in between bites. It was mid-chew that she took notice of the puzzle box that was still sitting on her table. “Worst case scenario, I actually try my hand at that thing.”

One lengthy shower later, Chloe found herself struggling to find something else to do. All of her friends were at work, she wasn’t really feeling up to sketching and her video game backlog was far from enticing. Yet again, though, the puzzle caught her eye.

“It does look pretty nice” she said as she opened the box up “And it will definitely kill a few hours.”

The punk took one look at the myriad of pieces, and rather than give up, dumped them onto her table and went to work.

* * *

 

“Chloe? You alive?” Rachel called out as she walked into her friend’s apartment. It wasn’t like Chloe to not respond to her texts, especially on her day off. It had been hours since she last heard from her, and the burgeoning model was beginning to worry.

As she entered the living room, though, she was greeted to quite the surprise. There, draped over the couch, was Chloe, snoozing away. That wasn’t the surprise, though, as there on the table was the puzzle, now fully assembled.

“Holy shit” she breathed out. This was a 1000-piece puzzle! It was supposed to last a few weeks, not one long day off. Rachel knew Chloe was smart, but damn, not that smart.

Still taking in the completed jigsaw, Rachel didn’t notice as Chloe stirred awake next to her. “Impressed?” the punk slyly asked.

Practically jumping out of her skin, the blonde struggled to regain her composure. “Jesus! Chlo! C’mon!” Rachel shrieked out. “I startle easily you bitch.”

“You have to be nice to me, it’s my birthday.”

“That was yesterday, Priceless. I don’t owe you shit today.” Rachel said with a smirk. “Now that I’m not about to have a heart attack, I’m kind of shocked you already pieced this together” she said as she pointed towards the image of Paris.

“Honestly? I’m kind of shocked too.” Chloe answered with as she rose from the sofa. Taking in her work, she continued. “I kind of just got into a groove, though. It was relaxing, but not too relaxing, if that makes any sense.”

“It doesn’t.” the blonde answered with “But I’m glad you got some enjoyment out of it.”

“Actually, I was wondering if you had the address for where you got it? I kind of want to grab another one.”

Rachel could only stare at her friend like she had a second head. Silently, she began to look through her phone to find the location of the small shop she found the jigsaw in.

* * *

 

“I’m not just saying this because I want to make a sale, but you can’t go wrong with any of these ones.”

Chloe had made the trek to Seattle to visit the shop Rachel found the gift in. It was a puzzle lover’s dream, and a little overwhelming for someone just getting into the scene. Still, she wasn’t about to be taken for a ride by some puzzle salesman.

“Gotta admit dude, I only got the cash for one at the moment” she shot back with “That one of Tokyo is looking pretty good for now.”

“Can’t hate that choice” the employee said as he brought the 1000-piece puzzle up to the register.

Following behind him, a flyer taped to the counter caught Chloe’s eye.

**Wanted: Companion for jigsaw-puzzle competition. Must be high-level and willing to commute to Seattle. If interested, please text the number listed below.**

**\- Max Caulfield**

Intrigued, Chloe copied down the number, paid for her puzzle and departed the shop.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next few weeks, Chloe continued her puzzle-solving ways. When she completed one jigsaw, she would disassemble it, place it back in the box and then get to work on the other one she owned. Some would, as Rachel helpfully pointed out, consider it tedious. However, repetition was the best way to get better.

In an effort to reduce her times even further, Chloe started to think about some different ways of approaching the task at hand. First, she tried listening to some music, but all Firewalk did was make her want to mosh instead of think. Then she tried smoking a little beforehand, but that just made her space out instead of focus.

“Guess I’m going to just have to rely on my regular old sober brain for this,” she said as she picked up her watch to check out her latest time “because that was my worst effort yet.” Sighing, she took one last look at the finished product before beginning the process of tearing it apart.

* * *

 

“I don’t know what you’re so nervous about. Whoever this Max person is probably won’t care if you’re good or not.”

On the one hand, Chloe knew Steph probably had a point. If Max was an elite puzzle solver, would they really be posting help wanted ads in a game store? On the other hand, the last thing the punk wanted to do was embarrass herself in front of a stranger.

“It doesn’t matter,” the bluenette said in between bites of food, “I just want to make sure I feel confident enough in my own abilities before I go testing myself in front of some dude.”

“Max is a guy? How would you possibly know that? You said you haven’t texted them yet.”

“Dude, seriously?” Chloe scoffed. “Max is 100% a dude’s name. Plus, I have the worst luck, so they will almost definitely be a guy.”

Steph rolled her eyes at her friends’ outburst. “Chloe. You can’t just assume that Max is a him based on the fact they also like puzzles.”

Before her friend can reply, Steph continued, “If you’re serious about this, I think you should reach out to Max, though.”

“I don’t even know if he is still looking for a partner, though.” Chloe with a sigh. “And again, I’ve only been doing this for a little bit! I don’t even know if I’m good at it!”

“First of all, did you not listen to a single word I just said?”

The punk shrugged her shoulders non-chalantly.

“Ugh. I’m starting to agree with Rachel. You are the worst” the nerd said with a smirk. Continuing, she added “You should still at least text them, though. What do you have to lose?”

“Fine. I’ll text HIM later today.”

“Oh my god, you cannot be serious with this.”

* * *

 

**Chloe:** Uh, hey, is this Max?

**???:** It is. May I ask who this is?

**Chloe:** Oh! Right, my name is Chloe. I saw your flyer while I was at Butterfly Games. Are you still looking for a partner?

**Max:** That depends. Are you any good?

**Chloe:** Dude, do you really think I’d be texting you if I didn’t think so? Give me SOME credit.

**Max:** That’s fair. But, yes, I’m still looking for a new partner. You can make it out to Seattle?

**Chloe:** Sure, all I need is an address and a date.

* * *

 

Together, the two had agreed on meeting up the following Saturday. Chloe was able to get Brooke to work a double for her, and Max apparently didn’t work weekends. “Must be a good gig,” Chloe thought to herself after confirming the plans.

The drive from Tacoma to Seattle wasn’t too long, but it was long enough for her to once again go over this whole scenario. She was driving 40+ minutes from home in order to meet up with a stranger. At their home. In order to solve a jigsaw puzzle for them. Chloe had been on many adventures in her young life, but this was strange even for her.

For as absurd as it was, though, there was something exciting about it. Never in a million years did the punk figure she would get into something as niche as competitive jigsaw puzzle solving. And yet, there was something about it that was drawing her in.

If nothing else, this was at least forcing her slightly out of her bubble. An entirely new world potentially awaited her, and all she had to do was impress a single stranger.

After finally managing to find parking, Chloe made her way over to the apartment building Max lived in. “What was the apartment number again? 6F?” the bluenette said to herself as she looked over the intercom system. Going with her gut, she buzzed the room, and hoped she didn’t just dial some rando.

*click*

“Oh, hey Chloe, what a pleasure. Thanks for coming Chloe” she sarcastically mumbled to herself. “Seriously? Couldn’t even say hello through the stupid intercom?”

Pressing the button for the 6th floor, the punk begins to feel her stomach start tingling. “It’s going to be fine,” she thinks to herself, “and if things go wrong, don’t forget about the mace on your keychain.”

Getting off the elevator, she makes her way over to 6F and knocks on the door.

“Coming” a soft voice says from the other side.

“Okay, so maybe Steph was right about me jumping to conclusions” she says under her breath.

When the door opens, Chloe immediately realizes that Steph was 100% correct. Greeting her is not some paunchy dude, but rather a girl about her age. And with chestnut hair, a smattering of freckles and deep blue eyes, she was quite the looker too.

“Chloe, it’s so nice to meet you. Please come in” Max says as she opens the door further.

Silently walking in, Chloe looks around the modestly sized apartment. Her eyes are immediately drawn to the Blade Runner poster…….and the Final Fantasy: Spirits Within one right next to it. “There’s a first time for everything” she thinks to herself.

All the while, Max is staring at her guest, perhaps even studying her. “Is everything okay? You haven’t said a word since coming in.”

Realizing how awkward she probably seems; Chloe turns back to her host. “Shit, sorry, I didn’t mean to space out like that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I literally space out like that at least once a day” the brunette says with a chuckle. “I’m guessing I might not be what you were expecting, though.”

“No, not exactly,” Chloe answers honestly, “I was assuming you’d be a guy, to be honest.”

“Seems a little odd to assume that, but I can assure you, I’m definitely not a him.”

“I, uh, don’t really have a rebuttal for that” Chloe says with a laugh. Looking to change the subject, she spots a puzzle box on the kitchen table. “Is that what I’m going to be working with today?”

Appeasing her new friend, Max guides Chloe over to the table. “Correct. It’s just a simple 500 piece, but I think it’s a good start.”

Taking a seat at the table, the punk looks over the packaging. “This doesn’t seem too difficult. You sure this is all I need?”

“Confident, are we?” Max says with a small grin. Picking up her phone, she brings up the stopwatch app. “You can begin…….now.”

Prying open the box, Chloe dumps the pieces on the table, and begins to spread them out. Once she has everything out in the open, then she can begin to look for matching pieces.

“I don’t want to be a bother,” Max starts to say, “but while you’re working, can I ask you some questions? Nothing serious.”

Not even taking the time to look up, the punk responds with “Oh, this is new, but sure, knock yourself out.”

“Great. First, where are you from?”

“Small town called Arcadia Bay. Lot of memories there. Some good, but a lot of shitty ones too.”

“Never heard of it, but sorry to hear that. Family still live there?”

“Yup, my mom is still stuck there with my dickhead step-douche.”

“And what about your actual dad?”

On that question, Chloe freezes up for a second. “He, uh, passed away years ago.”

Realizing she really stepped in it, Max immediately goes into apology mode. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Yeah, you probably shouldn’t have.”

From there, an uncomfortable silence comes over the two. Looking up from her work, Chloe notices that Max won’t even look at her now. “Crap, Chlo, what are you doing?” she thinks to herself.

“Dude, it’s fine. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I just miss him, so anytime he comes up, it always takes me off my game.”

The freckled brunette looks relieved, but still a little withdrawn. “Seriously, I’m sorry. I have a tendency to be a little nosy, for better or worse.”

“I get it,” the bluenette says in response, “but if it’s alright with you, I’d prefer to work in silence now. You can ask me whatever you want afterwards, though.”

Shaking her head in agreement, Max goes back to silently studying Chloe’s process.

A silence once again comes over the two, but this time, it doesn’t feel as awkward.

* * *

 

Chloe isn’t sure how much time has passed when she hears Max’s phone start ringing.

Picking it up to see who would dare disturb her, Max’s face falls. “Crap. It’s work. I gotta take this.”

“Go right ahead dude, just keep that timer running.”

Giving a thumbs up in response, Max answers the phone and walks out of the room.

“Maybe not as strange as I expected this day to go, but it’s definitely not normal” Chloe thinks to herself. “At least Max is pretty chill. She seems a little on edge, though.”

Even with her mind somewhere else, the punk is still chipping away at the puzzle at a decent clip. It’s all about getting into a groove. Once she reaches that special place, piecing together the picture begins to feel as easy as pie.

“Sorry about that.” Max says sheepishly as she sits back down, “Can’t ignore the boss, though.”

“Believe me, I hella understand that. Timer still running?”

“Hella? Is that Arcadia Bay slang or something?” the brunette says jokingly.

“Quiet you. Some of us are trying to work over here.”

* * *

 

“Wowser.”

Chloe can only look strangely at her companion. “Wowser? What do-“

Ignoring the intrusion, Max glances back and forth from the competed puzzle to the timer, struggling to take it in. “Oh dog, you cannot be serious with this time.”

“Oh dog? Wowser? And you said hella was weird.” Chloe says with a laugh. Realizing that Max is apparently not going to continue talking, the punk rolls on. “So, was that good enough for you?”

Shaking herself out of her confused state, Max turns to Chloe with a grin. “Definitely. This is seriously impressive for someone who basically just started.”

Slightly blushing at the praise, Chloe smiles back. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“Yeah, not exactly,” she says as she extends her hand, “so how about it?”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute” the bluenette says before she shakes her hand. “I think I need to see how good you are before I sign on for this.”

Bringing her hand back in, Max laughs softly. “That’s only fair, and that was the plan originally. However, I know I said I usually don’t work weekends, but my boss needs me to come in tonight.”

Feeling genuinely disappointed at the abrupt conclusion to the day, Chloe begins to stand up. “That’s lame as hell dude. Tell your boss to fuck off.”

“If you knew who my boss was, you’d know how terrible of an idea that is.”

“If you think I’m scared of a little authority, you clearly don’t know me enough yet.” Chloe shoots back with. Extending her hand this time, she smiles warmly at Max. “I’d love to do this again, though.”

“Me too,” Max says as the two shake hands.

* * *

 

**Rachel:** So how goes the puzzle solving? Was it everything you dreamed of and more?

**Chloe:** Why am I friends with you again?

**Rachel:** Because you literally have no one else to talk to.

**Chloe:** Fucked up. But true.

**Rachel:** Hahaha

**Chloe:** Anyway, it went well. Really well. Max is cool as hell and super nice. We’re gonna try to meet up again next week.

**Rachel:** See? I knew what I was doing when I bought you that first puzzle!

**Chloe:** Yes, this is obviously how you saw this whole thing going.

**Rachel:** Do you doubt my psychic skills? Also, Steph wants to know if she was right.

**Chloe:** I should have known she’d be close by. But, yes, she was right. Max is a girl.

**Rachel:** Hmmm. Interesting.

**Chloe:** What?

**Rachel:** Nothing. I just hope you can keep seeing your puzzle princess.

Chloe: Please don’t do this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There she is! Yes, we are officially on the way to some gosh darn Pricefield. 
> 
> Next chapter will take us further into the world of Max, as we spend a night at work with her. Judging by where she works, you may already have an idea of who her boss is.
> 
> I don't really have an update scheduled hammered out yet. I'd love to be able to do weekly, but between work and other real-life matters, I can by no means guarantee that. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes. 
> 
> Big thanks to everyone who has read so far. It's really nice to see people checking this thing out. And special shout out to Jossi55 for letting me know that I had accidentally marked this as a one-shot lol.


	3. Chapter 3

After seeing Chloe out, Max rushed back into her apartment in order to get ready for work. Not only did she have to go in on her day off, but in the words of her boss, she had to “make herself look decent for once.” The Chase Space has standards, especially on the debut night for a brand-new exhibit.

It normally didn’t work like this to be fair. Max was the eagle-eyed acquisitions manager who scoped out new talent. After recruiting fresh faces for the building, her work was more or less done. When it came to presenting the art to the rich and powerful, that responsibility fell to her co-worker, Taylor Christensen.

With a stomach bug taking out Taylor, though, it was going to be up to Max to work the floor for the evening. Something she was absolutely dreading.

“It’s just a few hours Max” she told herself while slipping on her dress, “And you know Rebecca’s work pretty damn well.” To be fair, she wasn’t unsure of her knowledge of the artist on display. She just knows there are going to be guys there who look, and act exactly like him.

* * *

 

“I’m not as mad about going into work as I am about having to cut my time with Chloe short” Max thought to herself during her ride into work, “Hopefully she actually will come back soon.”

Max would be the first to admit she wasn’t exactly a social butterfly. Even putting that flyer up in the shop took every ounce of her will to accomplish. Considering the results it brought, though, the pain may have been worth the effort.

“It’s crazy that she’s only been doing this for a little bit and is that fast already” she pondered, “and considering we still have a few months until the event, who knows how good she’ll get.”

The brunette would be lying to herself if there wasn’t another reason for wanting her to stick around as well. She had a type, and the lanky, tattooed and grungy punk fit it to a tee.

“You don’t even know if Chloe is into women like that, so keep it in your pants Max.”

Wanting to take her mind off her gorgeous potential new friend, Max thought about the other thing that was really bothering her about tonight: the dress she forced herself to wear.

“This looks like a prom dress” she muttered to herself. It was a present from her mom, and considering it was the only vaguely fancy thing she owned, it was the best option for tonight. “And it’s super uncomfortable too. Who would actually want to wear something like?” she questioned.

Before she could complain about her dress even more, her Uber pulled up to The Chase Space.

Bracing herself for the evening ahead, Max steadied her breath, before getting out of the car and making her way inside.

* * *

 

Max’s plan to get in as silently as possible went to shit almost immediately.

“You’re late.”

“Of course, it had to be Courtney working the desk tonight” Max thought to herself as she turned to the receptionist.

“Can I really be late if I wasn’t supposed to be in?” she shot back with.

“According to Vic you can,” Courtney responded, “she’s waiting for you in her office, by the way.”

Max didn’t even bother to respond as she started to make her way over to Victoria’s office. That didn’t stop Courtney from complaining about not being thanked, but Max had bigger issues to worry about.

Stopping in front of the door to psych herself up, the brunette didn’t even have time for that as the door swung open before her.

“Caulfield. How nice of you to show up.” Victoria started with as she looked her subordinate up and down. “I’m glad you decided to take my advice and make yourself decent for tonight.”

If you looked up the definition of ice queen in the dictionary, you’d probably see a picture of Victoria Chase. The heir to the Chase family fortune not only looked the part of heartbreaker but had the cold attitude to back it up. That doesn’t mean she was at all qualified to run the Seattle branch of The Chase Space, but far be it from Max to say something.

“Victoria. Let’s not make this any more excruciating than it has to be” quipped Max.

Now fully looking at Max, the blonde allowed herself to relax a little.

“Seriously, though, Max, thank you for coming in on short notice. I know it’s your day off, and this isn’t really your bag, but it’s an emergency.”

Despite the earnestness of Vic’s words, Max couldn’t help but get a jab in. “The great Victoria Chase thanking me? I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Oh, please don’t be so dramatic Maxine” Victoria said coyly, “If Taylor wasn’t puking her guts out, I’d force her to be here.”

“Unfortunately, we’re stuck with each other for tonight. Now, what’s the plan?”

“The plan is that you’re going to be talking about Rebecca Klein’s work with the rich and powerful of the art world. You may not like dealing with that crowd, but I know you’re more than adept at talking about it.”

“That doesn’t sound that terrible” Max thought to herself, “And it’s only a few hours. You got this Max.”

“Now, if we’re good here, I have some last-minute prep to do before our guests arrive.”

Turning around to leave, the brunette was struck by a sickening concern. “Do you…..do you think these people will recognize me?”

“What do you mean?” Vic asked with confusion, “Again, you don’t really deal with this crowd.”

“I know that, but they probably know about, you know, him.”

The blonde’s eyes went wide with recognition as she realized what this was really about. “Oh. Right. I don’t know if they’ll recognize you physically, but the name. The name might jar their mind.”

Running her hand through her hair, Max began to feel her heart race.

Sensing trouble, Victoria amended her thoughts. “I wouldn’t worry about it, though. These are classy people, Max, they’re not just going to blurt out whatever is on their mind. We’re celebrating an artist tonight. There’s no need to bring up that scumbag.”

Max still wasn’t entirely sure, but at this point, it was too late to back out.

* * *

 

For the first hour or so, things were actually going kind of well.

Max somehow found herself able to deftly chat up guests about the artist of the show. Then again, gushing about angles and framing techniques was borderline second nature to her. Even if it had been years since she had actually picked up a camera to use.

It was only after she caught sight of one guest that things began to unravel. The designer frames. The slightly mussy hair. The smug smile. It was like cosplay, and it sickened her that a new generation was taking after him. People talked a big game after all his crimes came out that he deserved to be forgotten. And yet, it seems like his presence is still anchored to the industry.

Once she noticed one acolyte, the rest of the room seemed to be filled with additional copycats. It was suffocating, and if Max didn’t get some air soon, it was going to get messy.

Which was why Max found herself in a bathroom stall trying to catch her breath. Holding her phone in a death grip and hoping that the person on the other line would pick up.

“Maxaroni! What’s going on?” the cheery voice finally answered from the other side.

Paralyzed by indecision, the brunette froze up rather than answer her friend.

“Hello? Earth to Max. You okay?”

Finally regaining enough composure to respond, Maxine attempted to find her way out of this. “Dana. Sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you. I know it’s late. And. Sor-“

“Max. Hush. You know I’m always here for you. What’s going on?”

“I’m just……having a bit of a moment at work. I keep seeing him. And I know that’s ridiculous because he’s gone, but I can’t help it.”

“There’s nothing ridiculous about that,” Dana responded with, “He’s gone, yeah, but that doesn’t change what happened to you. You don’t need to apologize for feeling this way. Never.”

“Thank you, Dana. Seriously. I’m sorry if I interrupted anything.”

“Even if you did, girl, I would have taken your call anyway. I thought you were off on Saturdays, though.”

“Usually, yeah. But Victoria needed me to cover for someone tonight. Ruined a pretty good day actually.”

“Oh! That’s right,” Dana remembered, “You were supposed to meet up with that Chloe chick today. How did that go?”

Feeling her cheeks slightly start to blush, Max stammered out a response. “I’ll tell you about it after work.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't have a Life is Strange tale without the Queen Bee herself, now can we?
> 
> Anyway, I don't love how this turned out, but it was important to spend time with Max outside of interactions with Chloe. Dana will play a larger role going forward, especially when we delve more into Max's past.
> 
> Next chapter will reunite the dynamic duo as they continue to learn more about each other. And solve puzzles.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chloe:** So did you listen to my advice and tell your boss off?

Max had received this text message about 20 minutes ago during her ride home from work. And since the time she received it, she was attempting to come up with the appropriate response. She hadn’t made an actual friend in a while, so it was proving to be nerve-wracking.

If she tried to joke around, would it seem too early for that?

If she played it straight, would Chloe just think of her as a dud?

“Ugh,” she said with a groan. “This is ridiculous. Why am I nervous about this?”

Choosing to bite back her insecurities for a second, she hammered out a response.

**Max:** I did. And now I’m out of a job, so thanks for that ☹

“I hope a joke doesn’t seem too forward or anything,” she thought to herself.

While she waited for a response, the brunette reflected on the night. It was definitely bumpy at times, but she had gotten through it. A minor accomplishment, but an accomplishment nonetheless.

“Plus,” she considered, “Maybe I can use this to get something from Vic. It’s the least she could do. Besides my well-deserved overtime pay.”

Feeling her phone vibrate in her lap, Max picked it up and noticed it was from her new friend. Before she could look at what Chloe responded with, though, her Uber pulled up to her apartment.

“Have a good night,” she called to the driver as she gathered her belongings and got out of the car.

* * *

 

“And send.” Chloe said aloud as she finished her text to Max. Typically the punk wasn’t so forward with new faces, but Max seemed like the type of girl who wouldn’t get bothered by such a text.

After sending out that message, though, she started to wonder if it was smart to do. It’s true that her puzzle solving friend seemed pretty chill. But chill enough for a joking text already?

“Relax Chlo,” she muttered to herself, “Worst case scenario, she doesn’t take the bait.”

With her nerves calmed by the self-pep-talk, the bluenette decided to check in with her other friend.

**Chloe:** you and Steph around tonight? We can watch a movie or something.

**Rachel:** Sorry Priceless, no can do tonight. It’s date night.

**Rachel:** You free this week, though?

“Just great. Alone on a Saturday night again” Chloe thought to herself before she got back to Rach.

**Chloe:** Of course. Just let me know when you’re going to be around.

**Rachel:** Sounds good. You can tell me all about Puzzles 😉

“Puzzles? That’s seriously the best she got?”

Before she could respond to the blonde, though, her phone buzzed with another message.

“No way....” Chloe muttered after reading Max’s response to her earlier question, “She’s gotta be joking.”

**Chloe:** First of all, no emoji.

**Chloe:** Secondly, you cannot be serious. I don’t believe you.

As she waited for the follow-up, Chloe tried to figure out how she was going to entertain herself for the evening. She could boot up the PS4 and jump into a game. Or aimlessly browse Netflix until she decided to just watch The Office again. Both tempting options, for sure. And yet, despite spending most of her day working on them, she was contemplating starting one of her puzzles again.  

“Nothing wrong with a little extra practice,” she said as she made her way over to the table where the box sat. It was still the same one Rachel gave her, but even for as familiar as she was with it, she could always get better.

As the punk went to deposit the pieces out on the table, she felt her phone vibrate again. Pulling it out, she could only smirk at Max’s response.

**Max:** It’s true. I’m going to be homeless soon, so if you know of any shelters, let a girl know.

* * *

 

Despite her initial hesitation, Max was feeling good about the exchange with Chloe. Joking was definitely the way to go, and even with the apparent emoji abuse, things were looking good.

As she prepared to heat up some leftovers, the freckle prepared herself for a longer talk with Dana over Skype.

Dana Ward and Maxine Caulfield were as different as two girls could get. And yet, the two had become instant friends upon rooming together at Blackwell. Dana brought out Max’s more adventurous side, while Max brought out Dana’s inner artist. The duo had stuck together through the good and the very, very bad times.

Sitting down at her desk with her quickie meal, the brunette booted up the program and dialed up her friend. It only took a few seconds before Dana’s smiling face appeared on-screen.

“Max _ine_ Caulfield, so nice of you to finally join me,” Dana said with a grin, “You certainly can keep a girl waiting.”

“Excuse me!” Max stated with faux anger, “You knew I was at work tonight. No one forced you to stay up.”

“And miss a chance to talk to my favorite Seattle-ite? Not a chance.”

After that playful remark, Dana’s face turns serious. “You feeling better, though?” she questioned.

“I’m lucky to have someone like her looking out for me.” Max thought to herself before responding. “I am. Once again, I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

“And once again, do not worry about it Max. You know I’m always here for you.”

“I know. But still. Anyway, things went surprisingly well after I called you. Vic even mentioned that a couple guests want to talk to me about Rebecca’s work outside of the showcase.”

“I knew you had it in you, girl,” Dana responded with a big grin. “At least one of us had a successful night.”

The freckled brunette was well aware of her friend’s frustrating work situation. “The play still not going well, I’m assuming?”

Before mustering up a response, the fledgling actress responded with a comical sigh. “Not going well is an understatement. This is an off-off-broadway show, and our director is acting like he’s the second coming of Mike Nichols. It’s preposterous.”

Max fails to stifle a giggle at her friend’s misfortune. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up Maxine” Dana shot back with. “I’ll remember this the next time Victoria busts your balls over something small.”

“I’m sorry, Dana, I really am,” Max finally got out. “The way you describe him reminds me of one of Joey’s directors on Friends, though. The one that dates Kate.”

“Oh god, I hadn’t even thought of that” Dana responded with while laughing. “That makes me feel a little better, at least.”

“I’m glad I can be of service.”

The two friends continued to chat about how their lives have been recently, before a text to Max interrupted the conversation.

**Chloe:** I would let you stay with me, but I have a rule against emoji-users being let in my apartment. Sorry dude.

Max struggled to hide the smile the response gives her. Which was unfortunate because Dana immediately pounced on it.

“Don’t think I missed that dopey grin!” she lead with before continuing, “Just who is that you’re talking to young lady?”

“Young lady? You’re barely older than me!”

Dana can only shrug in response, before urging Max to continue.

“If you must know, that’s Chloe. My new puzzle partner.”

“Ooooo, your new partner is a girl?”

Max immediately knew where Dana was going with this, so she moved to stomp it out. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. She’s just my partner for the competition.”

“Judging by that smile you failed to suppress, somehow I doubt you want just that.”

Even though she barely knew Chloe, Max had to admit that her friend wasn’t entirely wrong. Of course, she would never actually tell her that, though.

* * *

 

As a favor to coming in on short notice, Max was able to get Victoria to give her every other Friday off. This would pair better with Chloe’s schedule, so that she didn’t have to take too many days off of work herself. With the new schedule set, the two found themselves at Max’s place the following Friday.

“Alright,” Chloe started with, “before I agree to be your partner, I believe you owe me a demonstration.”

“That’s only fair” Max said as she grabbed a puzzle box from her closet. “And I would have shown you last week if work didn’t get in the way.”

“Which is why you should have actually told your boss to piss off.”

“At least she was kind enough to give me the day off,” the brunette responded with. “You ready to start timing me?” she asked as she dumped the pieces onto to the table.

“Hella ready,” the bluenette said before starting the timer on her phone.

As Max started working on the puzzle, Chloe couldn't help but notice the similarities between their styles. They’re both adept at piecing it together without having to rely on the picture itself. Instead, it’s about recognizing the shapes of the pieces and learning how to match them together.

After a few minutes of watching her silently, the punk decided that it was her turn to ask the questions.

“Speaking of things being fair, do you mind if I ask you a few questions this time around?”

Max didn't look up from the puzzle, but did shake her head in the affirmative. 

“Alright cool. Have you always live in Seattle?”

“Outside of when I was in college, yeah,” Max said as she continued to chip away at the puzzle. “My parents moved out to the suburbs a few years back, though.”

“That’s cool. I always wanted to live in a big city like this. Arcadia Bay was kind of lacking in thrills.”

“Funny. I always kind of wanted to live somewhere quieter. More of my speed.”

The punk chuckled at her friend’s response. “That’s fair. Where did you go to school?”

Despite refusing to look away from her work, the freckle still managed a response. “Blackwell Academy of Arts. Kind of a small school, but they had one of the best photography programs in the country.”

“Never heard of it, but you’re a photographer? I can dig that.”

Whatever response Chloe was expecting, Max didn't give to her. Instead, the brunette froze up for a second, before responding in kind. “Uh, yeah, but it’s been awhile since I shot anything.”

“That was strange,” Chloe thought to herself. “Probably shouldn’t press that issue any further.”

Before she can get her next question out, though, Max abruptly stood up from her seat. As her friend looked on in confusion, the freckled girl began to pace around the table, eyes still focused on the puzzle.

“Uh, what are you doing their Max?” Chloe asked in confusion.

Maxine laughed as she continued her trek around the table. “I’ve found that it doesn’t hurt to get a different perspective from time to time. So, I like to look at the puzzle from a different angle.”

The punk still seemed a little perplexed by the move, but it apparently worked. After using the tactic for a short time, something jumped out to Max, and she moved to resume her work.

“Kate used to look at me the same way when I started doing that.”

It took a few seconds to register, but Chloe eventually realized that Max was talking to her again. “And Kate was? Your old partner?”

“Oh! Yeah, sorry, I guess I forgot to mention that” Max said sheepishly. “She was good, but I have to admit, you’re better.”

“There we go with the flattery again” the punk responded with a cheeky tone. “What happened to Kate, though?”

“If you’re expecting something dramatic, I hate to disappoint. She just moved out to California for work.”

“You don’t really seem like the dramatic type, so that makes sense.”

“You’d be surprised” Max stated as she looked up from her work to stare her friend in the eye. After a few beats, she shifted her gaze back to the puzzle. “If you don’t mind now, though, I’d like to really concentrate on this.”

Like the previous time, a silence descended upon the duo. Chloe was content to study the moves of her friend, while Max was in her element working on piecing together the puzzle that lays in front of her.”

* * *

 

“Wowser.”

Max looked at Chloe in mock annoyance. “Oh, so now you’re going to borrow my phrases?”

The blue-haired punk smiled back in response. “I like it. But it does suit you more.”

She would never admit it, but Max was feeling a little nervous about what her friend was going to say. The brunette had posted a solid time on the puzzle, but now it was up to the punk to decide if they would work together.

“Seriously, though, I’m impressed Max. Maybe not the way I would have approached it, but we all have our quirks.”

“Feels a bit like a back-handed compliment, but I’ll take it.”

 “I can’t have you getting too cocky now” Chloe shot back with as she extended her hand. “I think we could make a hella good team, though.”

“I hella think so too” the brunette said as she grasped her friends’ hand in her own. “That sounded awkward when I said it, didn’t it?”

“No more awkward than your usual phrases.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! 
> 
> Wasn't planning on taking such a break, but life has a habit of getting in the way.
> 
> Anyway, Max and Chloe are officially partners now. Next chapter will once again focus on the two learning more about each other, plus we'll probably spend some time with Chloe at work. 
> 
> And puzzles. Can't forget about the puzzles.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few weeks, Chloe and Max continued to train at their current pace. Alternating between Friday and Saturday depending on their respective work schedules. Chloe always making the drive to visit Max, and Max providing the puzzles for the duo to work with.

It was a scenario that worked for both of them. But there would need to be some tweaks if the two were going to be able to compete in the big leagues.

“So, I was thinking we could switch things up next week” Max stated one evening.

“Oh yeah?” Chloe answered with, “Whatcha got?”

“Well I was thinking we could work on a bigger puzzle. Together," Max opened with, "It’s what we are going to be working with for the competition. Might as well get a head start.”

“Beauty and brains?” the bluenette said with a grin. “I knew you were more than just puzzles, Max.”

Immediately turning red from the compliment, the brunette tried to get out a response. “Uh…well…yeah….thanks?”

The punk burst out in laughter at her friend’s stunted response. “Oh dude! You should see your face!”

“Oh shut up! You can be so obnoxious. Why do I hang out with you again?” Max said with a huff.

Wiping away tears from her eyes, Chloe tried to defuse the situation. “I forget how easy you fluster. I’m so used to Rachel and Steph, both of whom seem impervious to my charm.”

“Or maybe they’re just used to your annoying attitude?”

“Wouldn’t be the first ones to be. Certainly won’t be the last ones either,” Chloe said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Maxine could only roll her eyes in response, and hope to steer this conversation back on track. “Anyway, I think you agreed that my idea was a good one.”

Getting up from her seat at the table, Chloe shook her head in agreement. “Definitely. I don’t mind taking turns doing what we’ve been doing, but it would be fun to switch things up.”

“Excellent. So next week, we’ll actually try this whole teamwork thing out.” Max stated. “Full disclosure. I’m not really a great team player.”

Chloe snorted with laughter in response to the statement. “Yeah, dude, I kind of figured. You seem like a girl who prefers working alone.”

“I don’t prefer working alone, actually,” the brunette responded with a slightly annoyed tone. “I just have a hard time working with others.”

Placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder, the bluenette sought to relieve some of the tension that had just been built up. “Max. That’s perfectly fine. I wasn’t trying to insult you or anything, it’s just something I’ve noticed since we started hanging out.”

Removing her hand, Chloe continued. “I’m not exactly a team player either, but we’re gonna get past this next week. Okay?”

Looking her in the eyes, Max responded in kind. “Okay.”

* * *

 

“Hey Brooke, can ask I you a bit of an odd question?”

Brooke Scott looked up from her phone quizzically. “Uh, sure, Chloe. Never really stopped you before.”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at her co-worker, the blue-haired punk continued. “What do you think about jigsaw puzzles?”

“Jigsaw puzzles?”

“Jigsaw puzzles” Chloe repeated.

Brooke furrowed her brow as she attempted to get out a reply. “Well. To be honest Chlo, I don’t really have any opinion on them. I’m more of a Sudoku girl.”

“But you don’t have a problem with them?”

“No……” the raven-haired girl responded with. “I’m a little confused by this. Why are you asking about puzzles?”

“I’ve just,” Chloe started with before stopping to process her thoughts. “I’ve just started getting into them. It’s why I’ve had to rearrange my schedule here.”

“You had to completely re-do your scheduled here because of…….puzzles?”

“I’m actually entering a tournament for them. With a girl I met.”

Even for as smart as she was, that statement still caused some confusion for Brooke. Chloe Price was a badass, ace tattoo artist. Solving jigsaw puzzles with a gal pal was not something that seemed up her alley.

Perhaps noticing her co-workers befuddled state, Chloe pressed forward. “I know, I know. It’s not what you expected to hear. But I’m actually really good at them.”

With the shop dead at the moment, Brooke was actually kind of intrigued to hear more about this new development. “Enlighten me then.”

* * *

 

Work had been a little busier for Max. With the last artist exhibition in the books, it was up to her and Taylor to find someone suitable for the next showcase. Easier said then done when Victoria Chase was your boss.

“Any leads yet Max?” Taylor asked. “You have a knack for sniffing out new talent after all.”

Normally, that may be the case. But lately, Max’s thoughts have been elsewhere.

“Um. No. Not really,” Max muttered. Scratching the back of her head, she attempted to think of anyone worth the presentation. “What about that Abraham guy? California-based, I think?”

Taylor placed her hand on her chin as she pondered the suggestion. “He’s not bad. In my opinion anyway. But, will Victoria go for him?”

“Doesn’t hurt to ask.”

“Doesn’t hurt to ask what?” Victoria chimed in with, as she suddenly entered the two’s shared office.

“Well..” Taylor started with, “We were thinking of reaching out to Abraham Jo-“

“You can’t be serious? That hack is the best you’ve come up with so far?” the icy blonde interrupted with.

“He’s got good buzz going,” Max shot back with.

Victoria rolled her eyes in response. This wasn’t the first time that argument had been made for someone. “Just a flavor of the month.”

With the two co-workers struggling to reply, their boss continued on. “I actually was thinking of bringing in Alexander Vaskin. He’s talented, and is on the cusp of blowing up.”

At the dropping of that name, Taylor and Max shared a look of acknowledgement.

Pressing forward, Victoria continued. “I’d like one of you to reach out and see if he’d be interested in meeting with me. This week, preferably.”

With one last look to each of them, Ms. Chase exited the office.

“Ugh. She cannot be serious with that prick,” Taylor said with a groan.

Max couldn’t stifle her grin as she took in her co-worker’s agony. “He’s…….eccentric, that’s for sure.”

Fixing Max with a look, Taylor fired back. “He’s a dick, Max. I know you’re too nice to say so, though.”

“I’m guessing you want me to make the call then?”

“If you don’t mind,” the blonde answered with. “I’d rather blow my brains out than do that.”

“That’s fine,” Max said with a smile. “That just means you’ll have to deal with him in-person.”

“Sneaky, sneaky Max,” Taylor responded with as she focused back on her laptop screen.

With her co-worker occupied, the brunette figured it was a good time to message Chloe about her day.

**Max:** You wouldn’t happen to know of any artists in search of fame, would you?

**Chloe:** I might know of someone. Let me bring up some of their work.

“Huh,” Max thought to herself, “Wasn’t actually expecting her to know someone.”

As she waited for her friend to get back to her, Max busied herself with gathering information for Victoria. She may not agree with her, but what the boss wants, the boss gets.

Thankfully, before she could fully get into her work, her phone vibrated on her desk.

Picking it up, Max was excited to see what Chloe had in store for her.

“Let’s see what we go-“ Max began to think before she stopped cold. The art Chloe sent her was not just any old piece of work. No, no. It was a picture of the bluenette herself, showcasing her gorgeous tattoo. The brunette knew her friend was tatted up, but this was the first time she had seen all of it. It ran all down her arm, up onto her shoulder and tailed off just above her breast. Thankfully, she still managed to make herself decent.

“Wow Max, I didn’t think you were the type of girl to sext at work. Or at all.”

The shock of Taylor standing over her shoulder knocked Max out of whatever delirium she had been stuck in.

“This isn’t what you think it is!” she quickly shot out. At this point, though, Max wasn’t even sure what it was.

The blonde looked amused by her co-worker’s embarrassment. “Sure, sure. So if this isn’t some type of weird sex thing, what exactly is it then, Max _ine_?”

“It’s Max, never Maxine,” the freckled hipster muttered under her breath. How could she talk her way out of this one? Maybe being honest was actually the best way forward. Maybe.

“Honestly Taylor, I wish I could tell you what it was. But I can’t,” she stated glumly. “I don’t even know if she’s into me like that.”

Taylor could only roll her eyes in response. “Max, I swear to God. No girl sends borderline topless photos to just some random friend. Whoever this is at least has a passing interest in you.”

What Taylor said made total sense. Of course it did. But Max still struggled to believe that someone else could be interested in her like that. Her of the distracting freckles, flat-chest and awkward personality. Especially someone like Chloe, who was like, the epitome of cool.

There was also the fact that Chloe had no idea just how messed up she was.

* * *

 

“Honestly, I have no idea how you ever got any girl to sleep with you.”

Chloe was getting dinner with Rachel, and had just finished telling her about the picture she sent to Max. “She asked for her art. I gave her art.”

The aspiring model chuckled at her friend’s brazenness. “Did it work then?”

The punk scratched her head in response. She wasn’t really sure, to be honest. Max was easy to fluster, but surprisingly difficult to read. She had a tendency to withdraw from a conversation if it was getting too personal. It was the complete opposite of how Chloe was.

“Possibly? She loved the artwork anyway.”

“You could say then,” Rachel started with, “that, this is one Puzzles you can’t put together.”

Chloe let out a long sigh in response to her friend’s terrible, awful pun.

“I’m sorry,” the blonde said with a laugh, “that was just too easy.”

It was mid-laugh, though, that Rachel was hit with an idea.

“Why don’t you invite Puzzles to my party on the fourth? If she comes, it clearly means she’s into you. If she doesn’t, then at least you know where you stand with her.”

Taking some time before choosing to respond, Chloe thought over the suggestion. That wasn’t a bad idea actually. Rachel lived kind of close to Max, so she couldn’t use that as a way to worm out of coming. Plus, like Rach said, it would fully define their relationship.

“And here I was thinking that you had nothing but bad ideas up in that pretty head of yours Rach.”

“Oh honey, I’m more than just a pretty face.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. Hey everybody.
> 
> So, I apologize for the long delay. I had no intention of taking this long, but life found a way to get in the way. I also apologize for this chapter not being exactly what I said it would be. I promised that it would be about Max and Chloe learning more about each other, but this obviously isn't that. Next chapter, though. That I promise.
> 
> I've also been obsessed with Booksmart recently, and have been thinking of maybe doing a Life is Strange take on it. It would be after I wrapped this up, and I'm not sure what direction it would take. But I am interested in exploring it.


	6. Chapter 6

Dana loved Max. She really did. But she wished that she loved herself as much as Dana loved her.

Of course she was understanding about everything that happened to her friend. Dana felt incredible guilt over her role in what happened, and always would. No matter how many times Max assured her she had no reason to carry that burden.

However, Dana knows how great Max is, but also how she never shows that to anyone else. Her best friend keeps to herself in pretty much all matters. It’s not healthy, but it’s been difficult for her to get comfortable around others. There was Kate, but she had to move, and she was just a good friend, regardless.

Which is why Dana is excited that her petite friend has been hanging around with someone new. She hadn’t met Chloe yet, obviously. But if Max was willing to get comfortable being around her, she knows this new friend must be pretty great. Of course, that still hasn’t stopped the freckled brunette from freaking out about it.

“Even if she was gay, why would she be attracted to me? Look at me.”

“I’m looking at you Max,” Dana said into her laptop’s camera, “And I’m seeing a lot to like.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re my best friend” Max said dejectedly. Running her hand through her hair, she sighed in frustration.

Sighing alongside her friend, Dana took a moment to gather her thoughts. “I haven’t met Chloe, but I feel pretty confident in saying that she’s into women. The tats, the blue hair and the fact that she continues to hang out with you despite doing nothing but puzzles are pretty telling to me.”

“Making out with Juliet Watson at a frat party hardly makes you an expert on these things, for the record,” the brunette shot back with.

“Har, har, very funny Max _ine_ ,” her friend responded in turn, “I’m just saying, I think you need to take a chance here. You’ll regret it if you don’t. Trust me.”

“I know. I know. It’s just tough to put yourself out there, you know?”

Dana smiled at her friend. She had no idea how right she was. “Of course. Even I have trouble doing that, and you know how outgoing I can be.”

“Boy, do I ever…”

“Hey!”

* * *

 

While Chloe would never admit this to Max, her nerves were on edge the entire week. It had been easy enough to solve a puzzle with the girl watching her every move, but to work together on one? That was a whole different deal. Theoretically it should be easier, but could the two actually pull it off? That, she wasn’t so sure of.

It wasn’t just nerves over the future competition, though. If they couldn’t work together, would Max even want to continue seeing Chloe? Competing together was the reason Max had posted the flyer in the first place. If it wasn’t going to work out, why wouldn’t she just find a new partner? They were good friends, at least Chloe thought they were, but the brunette was still tough to get a read on.

As a rather emotional person herself, Chloe was usually pretty good at understanding other people. For instance, she knew David was a dickhead right from the start. Or that there was more to Rachel then just the public face she wore in school.

But Max was something else. Equally easy to fluster and difficult to decipher. Chloe knew there was a lot she wasn’t telling, but you can’t force someone to open up if they don’t want to. Well, you could, but that wasn’t her style. If it was, it would certainly make figuring out if they could be more than just puzzle friends easier.

“Catching feelings? Get it together Price,” Chloe muttered to herself as she stepped out of her truck. She had been sitting there for 20 minutes psyching herself up for today’s challenge. It was time to bite the bullet.

Making her way up to Max’s apartment, Chloe knocked once, and then just let herself in, as she usually did. If today was already going to be difficult enough, once she laid eyes on the other girl, she knew it was about to get much more difficult.

For the first time since they started meeting up, Max was actually wearing make-up. Not a lot, just some eye shadow, lip gloss and light foundation, but enough to be noticeable. She was already cute enough beforehand, but these subtle touches really brought out her best qualities.

Chloe had to find a way to calm herself. And fast.

“What’s up with your face Max?”

That’s one way of going about it.

“Uh, well, I have a work thing tomorrow that I need to look nice for, so I’d figured I’d try it out today. How do I look?”

“You look. You look great. Really draws attention to your freckles” Chloe managed to get out. “Which is great. Just. Great.”

The brunette smiled back in response. “Thank you. I’ve never had any luck covering these things up,” she said as she gestured to her face, “so I figured I might as well embrace them for once.”

“Freckles are dope. So, yeah, go for it girl.”

“What the heck was that Price?” Chloe thought to herself as Max went to get the puzzle they’d be working on today. “You used to be good with the ladies, now you’re telling someone they have dope freckles? What is happening here?”

* * *

 

Returning to the room with today’s puzzle, Max was a little nervous about how what was going to happen next. This was a big test, and would provide an answer as to how ready they were. The day had started off well enough at least, with Chloe noticing the extra effort she had put into her appearance.

Maybe Dana was right. Taylor too.

“Alright, you ready for this Chlo?” she asked the blue-haired girl.

“As ready as I’ll ever be Caulfield” Chloe replied with a smile. “What have you got for me today?”

“We’re sticking with the location theme, and going with this 5000 piece of the New York City skyline. Never been there, but it looks nice.”

“Same, and same. Well. Let’s get started then.”

“In a second speedy,” Max said, “I just want to reiterate that this is very similar to what we’ll be working with in August. And that this is just a first test.”

“Got it. So, if this goes poorly, we can still work on it?”

“Of course,” the hipster said as she poured the contents of the box out onto the table, “I’m not expecting perfection or anything. Just that we can work together on this.”

After setting the timer on her phone, the duo got to work together on the challenge.

And for the first time since the two got together, it was not going well.

The logical, deliberate way both Chloe and Max approached each puzzle was proving to be hard to pull off with two people. It often led to the two of them studying the same patterns without realizing it. When would go to piece something together, the other would in turn have their flow broken.

It didn’t help when Max got up and walked around the puzzle as she usually does. That somehow only got in Chloe’s way even more than just sitting there. For two people who can typically handle them pretty well, this was a big issue.

After a few hours of trudging along, Max glanced at her phone and was shocked to see how much time had passed. “So, I’ve got some bad news Chloe,” she said as she picked up her phone, “We’ve been at this for five hours now.”

“Five?! Hours?! I don’t believe you,” the punk said as she looked between her friend and the very unfinished puzzle.

Tossing the phone to the blue-haired girl, the hipster sat down and stared at the puzzle in thought.

Looking down at the mess, Chloe could do little to hide her disappointment and frustration. “This really sucks. I’m sorry dude.”

If Chloe was looking for disappointment from Max, though, what she got next must have been a shock.

Rather than seeming upset by this disaster of a night, the brunette broke out in laughter. Not a loud guffaw, but a tiny giggle. It was an odd sight for the situation at hand.

“What’s so funny dude? This has been a total disaster!”

“I know, I know,” Max got out in between laughs, “But that’s why it’s so funny!”

Seeing that her friend was still confused, Max pressed on. “It’s funny that two people so good at one thing could be bad at it together! It’s ironic! But like Alanis Morisette ironic, you know?”

“I……..don’t. But what do we do now?”

“We keep at it?” Max said in confusion. “I told you this wasn’t the be all, end all. Just another step. We have time.”

That seemed to assuage the blue-haired girl’s fears for the moment. “Alright. Good. Sorry for freaking out.”

“Sorry for laughing like a weirdo.”

“Well you are a weirdo, so that’s expected. I’m supposed to be the confident bad ass.”

“I feel like I should take offense to that.”

“You shouldn’t,” Chloe answered with, “I like weirdos.”

Glancing over at the brunette, Chloe could see that Max was blushing, even if she was trying to hide her face. Now was the time to spring the party.

“So I was thinking..”

“Uh oh.”

“Shush,” Chloe said with a smile, “My friend is hosting a party for the 4th of July next week. And I was wondering if you’d like to come with me?”

“Is she asking me out?” Max thought to herself. “I-I-I did not plan for this.”

Putting on her best straight face, Max tried to get some more information. “Where is it? Close to here? Or closer to you?”

“Closer to here. I can even pick you up and drop you off. No pressure, though.”

Normally, Max would turn down a party invitation. Too many people. Too loud and obnoxious. But this was her chance. And Dana would never let her hear the end of it if she turned it down.

“I’d love to. At the very least, I can meet the elusive Rachel.”

“Uh Max, hate to break it to you. But you’re the elusive one here.”

* * *

 

 **Chloe:** Max is coming to the party.

 **Rachel:** Oh you finally sacked up and asked her out?

 **Chloe:** Wellllll, I asked her to come to the party? That’s almost the same thing, right?

 **Rachel:** You’ve gotta be kidding me.

 

 **Max:** Chloe asked me to a party 😊

 **Dana:** GIRL! YES! GET IT!

 **Max:** She didn’t exactly ask me on a date, but it seems close enough?

 **Dana:** Close enough for me. I’m gonna want deets after that party.

 **Dana:** Don’t even think of holding out on me Maxine!

* * *

 

Rachel Amber was an actress at heart. It’s why she was so good at masking her emotions under a straight-faced facade. There weren’t many people who could see through that shell.

Chloe Price was one.

Steph Gingrich was the other. It was how she could instantly tell that her girlfriend was anxious the night of the party.

“Rach,” the nerd said to her partner, “You’re freaking out about something.”

Turning to face her, Rachel put on a wide smile. “What? You’re crazy honey, I’m _fine_.”

“You can fool thirsty men with that smile, but you can’t fool me, _honey_.”

“I truly hate that you know me so well,” the blonde shot back with. Staring ahead at the handful of guests who were already milling about, she gathered her thoughts. “I’m nervous for Chloe. She really likes this girl, and I just don’t want it to blow up in her face. Again.”

Rubbing her girlfriend’s back in support, Steph echoed that opinion. “I hope it works out for her too, but Chloe is a big girl who can handle herself. And from what she’s been saying, it doesn’t seem like Max is a heart breaker or anything.”

“That’s what we’ve said about all of her flings, though. And then, inevitably, it all goes to shit and she has to pick up the pieces once again. It’s not fair.”

“I know it’s not babe,” Steph said as she planted a soft kiss on Rachel’s cheek, “She deserves better. I like her chances with this one, though.”

Striding over to the makeshift bar to pour another drink, Rachel could only hope that this time was different. “I guess we’ll find out tonight, right?”

“That’s right. And please don’t call her Puzzles to her face, I beg of you.”

* * *

 

Standing outside her apartment waiting for Chloe to pick her up, Max was a ball of anxiety. Both because of this maybe-date, and the fact that it was going to be an event with a lot of people in one spot.

“It’ll be okay Max,” she said to herself, “Chloe wouldn’t let anything bad happen. I think anyway.”

The brunette had taken a good amount of time cleaning herself up. She again splashed on a little bit of make-up, since Chloe seemed to notice it last week. She washed _and_ dried her hair! She was pulling out all the stops for this maybe date.

Outfit-wise, Max was taking a bit of a chance. Instead of her casual shirt and jeans look, she was instead rocking a khaki-green jumpsuit. The short sleeves and shorts showcasing her petite, freckled frame. She wasn’t used to wearing something so open, but she wanted to make a statement.

The sound of sputtering and smell of smoke knocked the brunette from her thoughts. Coming down the road was Chloe’s clunker of a truck. How that thing made the drive every week, Max did not know.

Pulling up to the curb, the blue-haired girl opened the door for her guest.

“Are you ready to party?”

“God, I hope so,” Max thought to herself as she closed the door behind her. “Let’s do this” she said with a small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! I apologize for the month+ delay. Life got extremely busy, and unfortunately that will always take precedence over writing. Also, I foolishly started writing another story, this time for Booksmart. So, I'm a dummy.
> 
> Anyway, next time is party time, as these two goons finally figure out what they want to be. And maybe Max will open up a little more to Chloe about her past. 
> 
> Hopefully it won't take another month for the next chapter to get published.


	7. Chapter 7

Before……the incident, Max had only been to a handful of house parties at Blackwell. Dana had dragged her to them in an attempt to come out of her shell. It did help, at least until everything went to shit.

In Max’s eyes, Rachel’s party was not dissimilar from those collegiate disasters. The apartment she shared with her girlfriend was modest in size, with a decent deck. However, rather than utilize said deck, most of the party-goers were cramped inside. Even with the air conditioner going, you could feel the heat as soon as you entered.

“There’s quite a crowd here,” Max said as Chloe and her entered the apartment, “your friends seem pretty popular.”

“Well when one looks as good as Rachel and the other is as outgoing as Steph, you tend to make friends.”

“So the complete opposite of us?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Chloe said as the two walked through the apartment, “I’m both sexy and personable, thank you very much.”

“Well, you might be one of those things…” Max said with a small grin.

Stopping in her tracks, Chloe turned to look at her companion. “Oh yeah? And which one would that be?”

“So where is the mysterious Rachel?”

“Uh huh, I see what you’re doing there Caulfield. I’ll let you off the hook…..for now.”

After she said this, Chloe reached out and grabbed Max’s hand in order to pull her forward. An innocuous gesture at first glance, but one that took on deeper meaning when they both realized this was the first time they had interacted in such a way.

“Shit,” Chloe thought to herself, “I hope she doesn’t think this was too forward.”

“Wowsers,” Max thought to herself, “Her hand is so sweaty.”

Entering the kitchen, the two finally tracked down the hostesses.

“Chloe!” Rachel said as she waved her friend over. “How nice of you to make an appearance.”

Turning her gaze over to Max, Rachel continued. “And you must be the mysterious Max. Rachel Amber,” she said as she stuck her hand out.

“That’s me,” the brunette said awkwardly as she shook the other girl’s hand, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh, Max, the pleasure is all mine.”

“Rach, what did I tell you earlier,” Steph said as she interrupted the interaction. “Hi Max, I’m Steph. Nice to finally meet you.”

“Yeah, this is Rachel and Steh, my best friends, for some reason,” Chloe chimed in with.

“Nice to meet you too, Steph. She won’t admit it, but Chloe has talked about you two quite a bit.”

“That’s just because she’s a big softie on the inside,” Rachel said with a smirk. “Can I get either of you a drink?”

“I’ll take a PBR if you got it. Max, what do you want?”

Rubbing her right arm with her left hand, Max seemed a little nervous about answering back. “I’ll just have a water if that’s okay.”

“Chloe, disgusting. One PBR and water coming right up,” the blonde said as she began to comb through the fridge.

“So, Max,” Steph said as the two waited, “How’re the puzzles going?”

“Oh! Uh, they’re going fine. We’re getting there. I think we’ll be ready for next month.”

“Glad to hear that,” Rachel said as she returned with their drinks, “And you’re welcome for getting her involved with all of that.”

Rolling her eyes at her friend’s comment, Chloe cracked open her can of beer. “Yes, yes, everyone praise Rachel. As if she doesn’t have enough ass-kissers in her life.”

“Well when you got an ass like mine, what do you expect?”

“Do you see what I’ve had to put up with?” Steph said as she returned her focus to Max, “Please tell me you’ll stick around. I need someone normal in my life.”

“Oh, you love me,” Rachel said as she roped her arm around her girlfriend’s neck and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. “We gotta go make the rounds, but I’m not done with you yet Max.”

As the duo walked off, Max felt unexpected relief at the end of that conversation.

“She seems like a lot,” she said to the girl next to her.

Chloe chuckled at her friend’s pretty accurate declaration. “She’s definitely something alright. Her bark is worse than her bite, if you know what I mean though.”

“I’ll, uh, have to take your word for it then.”

Taking a sip of her beer, Chloe gestured to Max’s choice of beverage. “Had I known you weren’t going to drink, I would have made you drive.”

“I don’t have a car, Chloe,” Max responded with.

“What about if I hopped on your bike’s pegs? Are those still a thing?”

The duo shared a laugh as they began to make their way out of the increasingly crowding kitchen.

“I’m not really much of a drinker, actually,” the brunette said with a shrug.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Shitty experiences with them and all that. I’d really like to not get into it right now, if that’s okay.”

“Oh, Max, everyone has had a rough night or two when drinks are involved,” Chloe said in response. “I guarantee that your bad times have nothing on my times.”

“I really, really doubt that,” Max said as the two sat down on an unoccupied couch. Taking a sip of her water, she looked her friend in the eyes. “Like I said, I’d really prefer not to talk about them right now. Okay?”

Sensing that this was a subject that shouldn’t be breached, Chloe acquiesced to the demand. “Okay. Sorry for pushing it. I kind of have a problem with that.”

“It’s…..” Max started with as she tried to figure out the right way to word her thoughts. “Fine. It’s just not something I feel comfortable talking about with, well, pretty much anyone. Please don’t take offense to it.”

“It’s all good,” Chloe said with a small smile. “There are more important matters to discuss anyway.”

“Such as our next training session?”

“No. Well that too, but that’s not what I’m talking about,” Chloe said. “What’s the deal with that Final Fantasy poster you have hanging in your apartment? How can you possibly have that alongside the greatness that is Blade Runner?”

“Uh, I don’t see what the big deal is,” Max said as she took mock-offense, “They’re both two of the greatest sci-fi films of all time. And you call yourself a nerd.”

“You are literally the only person I have ever met that likes The Spirit Within. Everyone else in America, nay, the world dislikes that movie.”

“Just because an opinion is popular doesn’t mean it’s correct.”

“In this case the popular crowd got it right,” the punk said with a laugh.

“Well if you’re so sure of that,” the brunette said as she looked down at her drink, “You should watch it with me sometime. Guarantee it will change your mind.”

Smiling at the invitation, Chloe finished her drink before replying. “If you’re so confident about it, I’ll gladly watch it with you. If only to wipe that smug smirk off your face once it’s done.”

Standing up from their shared couch, Chloe stretched her long limbs out. “I’m going to grab another drink. Maybe take a piss. Who knows. You want anything?”

“No thank you,” Max replied with a laugh. As she watched her friend walk into the crowd, the hipster was satisfied with how that conversation went. “That was actually pretty smooth Caulfield,” she thought to herself, “Now I just have to actually admit I like her. Maybe Dana will know what to do next.”

Before she could dig her phone out, though, she was interrupted by an unfamiliar male sitting down next to her.

“Anyone sitting here?”

* * *

 

Pushing through the increasingly crowded living room, Chloe had to admit that things seemed to be going well.

“Who knew that the Final Fantasy crack would lead to that,” she thought to herself, “And thankfully Max wasn’t too bothered by me bugging her. Still weird she doesn’t want to talk about it, but that’s just how she is I guess.”

As she approached the fridge, she noticed that Steph was all alone. “Perfect. Easier to talk to one of them than both.”

“Hey buddy,” Chloe said as she slid up next to the other girl, “How’s the party going?”

“Surprisingly drama-free,” Steph said with a smile, “but I feel that’s not the real reason why you want to talk.”

Barking out a laugh, the punk opened up the fridge and pulled out another drink. Steph was well-versed in her romantic foibles, so she had to have known something like this was going to pop up.

“Impressions?” she simply asked.

Placing her hands on Chloe’s shoulders, Steph began to shake them back and forth. “You do not need my approval to date someone, Priceless,” she said with a laugh. Regaining her composure, she continued. “With that said, Max seems sweet. No idea how you two could be friends, but people say that about me and Rach I suppose.”

“I can be sweet!”

“Sure babe,” Steph started with, “but that doesn’t mean you always give off that vibe. You can be a little standoff-ish. It’s a good sign that you aren’t acting like that around Max, though.”

Chloe smiled as she thought about the freckled brunette. “Yeah. I don’t really feel the urge to be snarky, you know? I want to show her the best side of me. Hide the really shitty stuff for further down the road.”

“As long as you’re honest with her,” Steph replied with. Looking over to where Max was sitting, Steph noticed she was getting some unwanted attention. “You might want to go save your girl, Chloe.”

“What are you talking about,” the bluenette said as she turned around. It was then that she noticed some sleazy looking dude talking to a clearly annoyed Max. “Rachel sure knows how to find them,” she muttered as she began walking back over.

Approaching the two, Chloe could barely contain her annoyance at the nonsense this dude was spitting.

“And that was when I decided I needed to find inner peace, you know,” the bro finished explaining to Max. She couldn’t look any less interested if she tried.

“Right on, definitely,” Max said in a bored tone. As soon as she spotted Chloe walking back over, though, her eyes lit up.

“Sorry, dude, but I need to steal my girl away, if you don’t mind,” Chloe said as she reached the two, “’kay thanks!”

“Chloe!” Max barely got out before she was dragged away by the taller girl. The man that was droning on and on to her barely got a word out before the dynamic duo was weaving through the crowded apartment. Chloe may not have been a literal lifesaver, but she was pretty close.

* * *

 

Finally able to catch their breath following their mad dash, Chloe and Max found themselves on Rachel and Steph’s deck. For a party that was raging on the inside, it was conspicuously empty on the outside.

“You can thank me later,” Chloe said with a smug grin.

Normally, Max would love to banter back and forth Chloe, but something she heard had stuck with her.

“My girl, huh?” she said with a tilt of the head. “Care to elaborate?”

That quickly changed Chloe’s grin from smug to sheepish. Scratching the back of her head, she attempted to formulate an answer. “You, uh, you heard that?”

“Ohhhhhhh yeah I did.”

“Right. Well, might as well get it out there,” the punk started with. “I don’t want to mess anything up with the contest coming up soon, but I need to say this. I really like you Max. You’re one of the sweetest girls I’ve ever met, you have a wonderful sense of humor and you’re seriously too cute.”

Max was a little stunned to hear such an admission from Chloe. Not that she didn’t want to hear it, it’s just when you’ve been alone as long as she has, it’s a little surprising regardless. Getting lost in her own head, she barely realized that Chloe was still rambling on.

“-and if you don’t feel the same way, that’s fine. I still want to do the contest, and we’ll just go-“

Chloe’s train of thought was interrupted as Max reached up to deliver a small kiss to her cheek. Immediately blushing at the contact, Max retreated to her previous spot.

“I-I like you too, so don’t spiral over that please,” she said with a smile, “But I need you to understand something. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with anyone, so I need to take it slow. If that’s okay?”

It was more than just that, but Max didn’t want to delve into that topic here. Or now, for that matter.

Smiling back, Chloe enveloped the small brunette in a hug. “Of course. The last thing I’d want to do is make you uncomfortable.”

With confirmation that the punk was willing to wait for her, Max hugged back as well. It would have been a nice moment for the two. If it wasn’t happening during the middle of a busy party.

“Oooooo! Look at this happy pair!” Rachel shouted from a nearby open door.

Groaning, Chloe buried her head on Max’s shoulder.

“Unfortunately, she’s part of the deal.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter! What the heck!
> 
> I know, I know. It's been a long time. But, life does not slow down for anyone. And it certainly does not slow down enough to write for a hobby. Updates will continue to be sporadic due to general life business. The same can be said for my other works as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for checking this out.
> 
> I've been reading fics for the past year or so now, and while I know it won't match up to the greats, I hope others get some enjoyment out of this.
> 
> For those who don't know, the fic is kind of a Life is Strange take on the movie Puzzle, which came out last year. Obviously, not all details translate over, but the idea of two completely different souls bonding over their shared skill in puzzle solving appealed to me. 
> 
> If you have seen the movie, the relationship between Chloe and Max won't 100% mirror the main relationship in the film. If anything, Max is more like Kelly MacDonald's Agnes and Chloe like Irrfan Khan's Robert. You don't need to know the film to get the fic, but I do recommend watching it, as it's a solid little movie.


End file.
